Learning a language is great. It opens up your mind to a whole other people, another culture, broadening your horizons while making you more intelligent. But sometimes it can be a challenge and it can be frustrating when you get stuck and can’t move forward with it. If you're like me and don't benefit much from learning from a textbook and if you’re really passionate about learning a language, then these tips may help you in your process to becoming fluent in whatever you’re studying.
1. Remember high school language class
If you’re learning a new language, think back to the time you took Spanish, French or German in high school. Do you remember conjuguemos where you had to conjugate every verb you learned? Do you remember learning about subjects, prepositions, pronouns and adjectives? These are basic grammar functions but believe it or not, you may need the review. My Arabic college class can’t differentiate between these basic functions. Know basic grammar functions and know where and when they are used.
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Also, a very helpful tip is thinking about the construction of
sentences from your high school language class. As you’re learning the
language, make contrasts and comparisons between the two languages and their sentence
structures. It helps you break down the language and get to the core
understanding of how it’s constructed. It helps you realize that languages are just
words in different orders and after this understanding, it becomes very simple.
2. Watch TV Shows and movies in that language
This has been the most effective way for me to get used to a language and get the most out of it. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn from watching TV shows and movies. By listening to the people speak fluently and reading the subtitles, understanding grammar becomes easier. Especially if you’ve never heard the language before, aside from your teacher, it will be very difficult to implement the language.
I’m in love with Korean and I started watching Korean dramas about two years ago and I learned the fundamentals of the language just by watching and listening and reading the subtitles. With Arabic, which I’m learning in school, I’ve had almost no exposure to it. Aside from reciting myself and hearing people recite the Qur’an; I don’t really know how Arabs speak it. Learning Arabic has been harder for me than Korean. With Korean, I can understand a lot now without actually reading the subtitles. Korean comes naturally while with Arabic, I really have to think about it to speak it.
There are so many different ways to say one thing and in school, you may only learn one way. When you watch shows, you’ll learn how to say the same thing in many different ways and you’ll get more out of the language.
3. Vocabulary is half the language
I remember the first time I learned the word for bathroom in Korean. At that time, I had very little exposure to Korean and I didn’t understand much from watching things at that time. But when I heard someone say bathroom, it just popped out to me. I had been used to listening to Koreans so when I heard that word, it was natural and I didn’t have to think about it and translate it in my mind before I understood.
With that being said, learn as much vocabulary as you can. Learn ten words a week and make flashcards. Don’t try and learn everything at once. Languages take the time to learn. Even if you may not understand the grammar part of the language, you’ll understand almost half of it by studying vocabulary.
4. YouTube videos about cool slang words and you’ll fit in as a native speaker
If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty of the language, slang words are the way to go. You may learn a lot of these by watching TV shows but when I found myself searching for vocabulary videos, I came across slang words Koreans use all the time. When you talk to natives, you’ll be able to easily relate to them and they will also be very helpful as you talk to friends.
5. Find a friend who can speak the language you’re studying
Honestly, I’ve been longing for one of these friends and I can’t find one. But if you are able to find one, speak to them in their language. This is great for practice and it’s also great because your friend can help you clear something up that you do not understand.
Sometimes distinguishing sounds can be difficult in languages. When I first learned Korean and I heard the word “yes,” it sounded a different way than you actually say it. I didn’t know that until my little sister talked to her friend, who’s Korean, about it which helped us to understand the way they speak with their mouths in the long run.
6. Don’t be shy to speak it
Last but not least, never be shy of speaking the language. This one goes for me too. Despite my love for the Korean language, I find it hard to speak even a little at my tae kwon do class. I’m also too afraid to say thank you at Chinese restaurants even though I so badly want to say it. When you do speak it so someone, they really appreciate it and the language you learn proves to be purposeful.
7. Speak the language at home
At home, I speak Korean like I live in Korea. Practice by using the language for every day speaking. When you’re hungry, instead of using English to say “I’m hungry”, try saying it in the language you’re studying. Speaking is the best way to remember the language.
8. Read posts, articles, novels
I follow a lot of Koreans on social media so I use their posts as practice. It has turned out to be really beneficial in learning how to read and spell. Reading books and articles is an essential part of learning to speak the language fluently as it also helps build your vocabulary. You can also grab exercise books for practicing reading and writing.
9. Never give up!
As I said earlier, learning a language requires time. Be patient with the language and you'll find yourself speaking in no time. Slowly, you'll see all the lessons build on each other and you'll be able to speak fluently. Just remember to be consistent and practice so that you don't forget and keep on improving!
